Kate Spade: An Eye for Design

Kate Spade’s undeniably recognizable logo of a small, cute spade is sure to bring a smile to any fashion-lover’s face. Her designs are always so aesthetically smart and pleasing that it’s like finding a treasure when a Spade design is found in Cida’s Consignment shop. Her amazingly talented eye for design has reached far beyond clothes and bags as the brand has recently expanded into housewares and home décor. However, her true pieces of art are the handbags, clothing, shoes, and accessories that can be seen gracing the racks and shelves of Cida’s Consignment shop frequently. Kate’s humble beginnings, raw talent, and strong work ethic are what allowed the brand to explode into a top favorite with many of our clients.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Kate attended an all-girls Catholic high school and moved on to graduate from Arizona State University. Fashion and design were in her blood and in 1986, she was excited to take a job in Mademoiselle’s accessories department. Her journalism degree from ASU came in handy when writing intriguing articles about modern accessories. She was soon moved to Senior Fashion Editor and Head of Accessories.

After seeing a gap in the fashion market for stylish yet sensible handbags, Kate decided it was time to make a move into the field of fashion design. She quit her job at Mademoiselle in 1991 and started obsessively researching handbags. Her life became engrossed in materials, shapes, colors, production costs, and designs.

Kate’s hard work paid off with the launch of ‘kate spade handbags’ in January 1993. Kate’s designs became popular extremely quickly because of their functionality and unique yet classic design. Soon, Kate launched ‘kate spade at home’ which included bedding and bath items. The company opened its own retail location in New York City in 1996 and Kate’s beautiful bags and housewares were on display.

Throughout her design career, Kate has received several awards including “America’s New Fashion Talent in Accessories” in 1996 by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and House Beautiful’s “Giants of Design Award for Tastemaker” in 2004, just to name a few.

This award-winning designer shows that a natural eye for design and the willingness to work from the ground up can lead to a successful career for any designer. At Cida’s Consignment shop, we’re proud to carry Kate Spade’s handbags and accessories. Stop by today and snag an original classic yet modern Kate Spade design for yourself.